Apparatus for the automated handling of workpieces

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the automated handling of workpieces comprising at least one gripper for picking the workpiece; a control for controlling the at least one gripper and an intermediate station for placing the workpiece, with the apparatus being configured such that the workpiece is placed in a defined position and/or defined orientation on the intermediate station and is picked up again with a changed orientation and/or with greater accuracy.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 102012 013 022.8, entitled “Apparatus for the Automated Handling ofWorkpieces,” filed Jun. 29, 2012, and also claims priority to EuropeanPatent Application No. 13 003 103.2 entitled “Apparatus for theAutomated Handling of Workpieces,” filed Jun. 18, 2013, both of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the automated handlingof workpieces having at least one gripper for picking the workpiece, acontrol for controlling the at least one gripper and an intermediatestation for placing down the workpiece.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The apparatus can in this respect in particular be used with suchautomated handling procedures in which randomly arranged workpieces aredetected by an object recognition device and a control of the grippertakes place using the data of the object recognition device to place theworkpieces on the intermediate station. The apparatus in accordance withthe invention can, however, also be used with other automated handlingprocedures.

It is the object of the present invention in this respect to provide anapparatus which allows a reliable and flexible handling of workpieceswith process security.

This object is solved in accordance with the invention by an apparatusin accordance with claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the presentinvention form the subject of the dependent claims.

The present invention shows an apparatus for the automated handling ofworkpieces having at least one gripper for picking the workpiece, acontrol for controlling the at least one gripper and an intermediatestation for placing down the workpiece. In accordance with theinvention, the apparatus is configured in this respect such that theworkpiece is placed on the intermediate station in a defined positionand/or in a defined orientation and is picked up again with a changedorientation and/or with a greater accuracy.

The present invention thus allows a workpiece which was already able tobe picked or placed with a certain accuracy to be picked up again in afirst embodiment variant with greater accuracy due to placing on theintermediate station and a repeat picking.

Alternatively or additionally, the placing of the workpiece can serve topick up the workpiece again with a changed orientation toward a gripper.This is in particular important when a workpiece can be picked up withdifferent orientations toward the gripper, but can only be arranged at atarget receiver with a defined orientation toward the gripper. In thiscase, the intermediate station in accordance with the invention can beused to achieve this orientation toward the gripper by placing andpicking up again with a changed orientation.

The present invention can in this respect in particular be used as apart of an apparatus which serves the automated arrangement of theworkpieces at a target receiver, wherein the at least one gripper iscontrolled so that the workpiece picked up from the intermediate stationis arranged with the desired orientation and/or accuracy at the targetreceiver.

The target receiver can in this respect be a receiver of a transportapparatus which transports the workpiece to a machining station. Theworkpiece can, however, also be arranged directly at a machiningstation, starting from the intermediate station, with the intermediatestation in this case also being able to take over a transport function.

The at least one gripper to place down the workpiece and/or to pick upthe workpiece again is particularly preferably a mechanical gripper.Such a mechanical gripper allows good accuracy in the placing down andpicking up of the workpiece. Alternatively, however, a pneumatic and/ormagnetic gripper can also be used.

In a first embodiment variant of the present invention, the same grippercan in this respect be used both for placing down the workpiece and fora repeat pick-up of the workpiece.

Alternatively, two separate grippers can be used, i.e. a first gripperfor placing the workpiece down and a second gripper for picking it upagain. Advantageously, in this case, the two grippers can be movedseparately, in particular by two separate gripping arms at which thegrippers are each arranged. Alternatively, the two grippers can,however, also be arranged at a common gripping arm.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intermediatestation includes at least one receiver in which the workpiece can beplaced down in a defined position and/or orientation. Such a receiverthus enables a placing down in accordance with the invention of theworkpiece in a defined position and/or orientation on the intermediatestation. Advantageously, the receiver is in this respect specificallymatched to the workpiece and takes up the workpiece in this respect in adefined position and/or orientation.

Advantageously, the receiver in this respect allows a picking of theworkpiece with at least two different orientations of the gripper towardthe workpiece, for example a picking from two sides. This in particularallows the orientation of the gripper relative to the workpiece to bevaried by placing down and picking up again. In this respect, a changein the orientation of the workpiece can in particular take place in thatit is placed down while gripped from one side and is picked up againwhile gripped from the other side.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, theintermediate station and/or the receiver comprises a compensationapparatus which allows an inaccurate placing down. Provision can inparticular be made in this respect that the receiver is arranged at theintermediate station with a certain play and thus yields correspondinglyon an inexact placing of the workpiece.

The placing down in a defined position in the sense of the presentinvention thus also comprises a placing down in a defined region whichis defined, for example, by the movability of the receiver or of thecompensation apparatus.

Further advantageously, a positioning arrangement can be provided whicharranges and/or fixes the workpiece and/or the compensation apparatus ina predefined position and thus allows a more accurate picking of theworkpiece.

Furthermore, the intermediate station can have a travel arrangement bywhich the workpiece and/or the receiver is traveled on the intermediatestation. Advantageously, in this respect, abutments and/or fixingregions are provided toward which the workpiece and/or the receiver istraveled for fixing and/or positioning. This in particular allows theaccurate positioning of a workpiece placed on the intermediate stationwith a inaccuracy permitted despite the defined placing down.

Provision can furthermore be made that the receiver can be traveled froma placing position into a removal position. This on the one hand makesit possible that the placing down of a workpiece takes place in adifferent position than the picking up so that they impede one anotherless, in particular on the use of two grippers.

Provision can furthermore be made that the receiver has a compensationapparatus which is movable in the placing down position, which allows anon-accurate placing down and can be fixed and/or positioned bytraveling into the removal position. The workpiece can hereby be pickedmore accurately in the removal position.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, aplurality of receivers are arranged next to one another. The receiversare in this respect in particular arranged next to one anothertransversely to the respective traveling direction.

The apparatus can in this respect furthermore have a plurality ofreceivers for receiving workpieces. The receivers can in this respect inparticular serve as a storage apparatus so that the intermediate stationin accordance with the invention serves as a store in addition to therepeat picking with greater accuracy and/or changed orientation.Alternatively or additionally, the receivers can also serve the furthertransport of the received workpieces. The receivers are, for example,arranged on a transport belt for this purpose.

Furthermore, an apparatus in accordance with the present invention canhave a functional region and/or a functional arrangement which, forexample, serves the pretreatment, the recognition and/or the marking ofthe workpieces. It can in this respect be a demagnetization station, forexample. It is equally conceivable to identify or to detect and/or tomark the workpieces by reading a label and/or by printing with a label.

Provision can therefore in particular be made that the receiver can betraveled from a placing position into a removal position, with theworkpieces running through the functional arrangement on the travelingof the receiver. The receiver can in this respect in particular bemovable in the placing position, as already presented above, and can befixable on the traveling into the removal position. A dual function ofthe intermediate station hereby results.

The intermediate station in accordance with the present invention can inthis respect be configured such that the picking back up of theworkpiece from the intermediate station takes place without a detectionof the position of the workpiece. The intermediate station can inparticular be configured such that the workpiece is arranged so exactlyat the intermediate station in its removal position that a detection ofthe workpiece is not necessary for the correct controlling of thegripper with which the workpiece is removed.

The workpiece is, in contrast, advantageously detected by an objectrecognition device in order hereby to control the gripper which picks upthe workpiece and places it on the intermediation station in accordancewith the invention. In this respect, randomly arranged workpieces can inparticular be detected by an object recognition device, wherein anidentification of the workpieces and a selection of a workpiece to bepicked take place by evaluation of the data of the object recognitiondevice, with reference to which data a track planning takes place andthe gripper is controlled.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention can in this respect be apart of a total apparatus for the automated removal of workpiecesarranged in a container, which apparatus has a first object recognitiondevice for detecting the workpieces and a first gripper for picking andremoving the workpieces from a container as well as a control forevaluating the data of the first object recognition device, for trackplanning and for controlling the first gripper. The control can in thisrespect in particular comprise an evaluation device for evaluating thedata, a track planning module for track planning and a control unit forcontrolling the gripper. Furthermore, this apparatus can comprise afirst intermediate station onto which the first gripper places theworkpiece after the removal from the container and can comprise apositioning apparatus which positions the workpieces more accuratelyand/or singularizes them, starting from the intermediate station.

The apparatus can in this respect in particular serve the removal ofworkpieces randomly arranged in the container since the position of theworkpieces can be determined by a suitable object recognition device andtherefore does not have to be known in advance. The apparatus cannaturally, however, also be used when the workpieces are already presentwith a certain order in the container.

The first intermediate station can in this respect be an intermediatestation in accordance with the present invention.

The intermediate station in accordance with the invention, on which theworkpiece is placed in a defined position and/or orientation, is,however, particularly preferably a second intermediate station.Provision can in this respect in particular be made that the positioningapparatus places the workpiece on the second intermediate station inaccordance with the present invention in a defined position and/or in adefined orientation and the workpiece is again picked up from the secondintermediate station with a changed orientation and/or with greateraccuracy.

Provision can be made in this case that the placing of the workpieces onthe first intermediate station takes place randomly. The workpieces canin this respect in particular be dropped onto a placing region of thefirst intermediate station from a certain height. In this respect, aslanted plane is, for example, provided onto which the workpieces aredropped and from which they slide to a transport device.

Provision can in this respect furthermore be made that a repeatdetection of the workpieces takes place on the intermediate station by asecond object recognition device for the corresponding control of agripper of the positioning apparatus.

In accordance with this invention, in this respect, a magnetic and/orpneumatic gripper, in particular a magnetic gripper, can be used as thefirst gripper with which the workpieces are removed from the container.This is in particular possible when the workpieces do not have to beplaced on the first intermediate station with a defined position.

In contrast, a mechanical gripper is advantageously used as thepositioning apparatus or as the gripper with which the workpieces areplaced on the second intermediate station in accordance with theinvention since it allows a more accurate placing down. Alternatively,however, a pneumatic and/or magnetic gripper can also be used here.

In accordance with the invention, the first gripper and/or the secondgripper can be moved via automatically controlled adjustment axes of agripping arm. In a first embodiment variant, the first gripper and thesecond gripper can in this respect be arranged at a common gripping armand can be moved via it. The first and second grippers are, however,preferably arranged at separate gripping arms and can thus be movedindependently of one another.

The present invention furthermore comprises an intermediate station foran apparatus such as was presented above.

The present invention furthermore comprises an intermediate stationhaving a receiver in which the workpieces can be placed down in adefined position and/or orientation. Advantageously, the receiver allowsa picking of the workpiece with at least two different orientations ofthe gripper toward the workpiece, for example a picking from two sides.Alternatively or additionally, the receiver can have a compensationapparatus which allows an inaccurate placing down.

The intermediate station is in this respect advantageously configured ashas already been presented in more detail above with respect to theapparatus in accordance with the invention. Provision can in thisrespect in particular be made that the compensation apparatus can befixed and/or positioned. Provision can furthermore be made that thereceiver of the intermediate station is arranged in a displaceablemanner, with the compensation apparatus advantageously being fixedand/or positioned by a displacement of the receiver.

Furthermore, a plurality of receivers can be provided for receivingworkpieces. The receivers can in particular serve as a storage apparatusin this respect. Alternatively or additionally, the receivers can alsoserve the further transport of the received workpieces. The receiversare, for example, arranged on a transport belt for this purpose.

The present invention furthermore comprises a method for the automatedhandling of workpieces, wherein a workpiece is placed on an intermediatestation in a defined position and/or in a defined orientation and ispicked up again with a changed orientation and/or with greater accuracy.The workpiece is in this respect in particular placed on theintermediate station in a corresponding receiver.

Provision is in this respect advantageously made in accordance with theinvention that the workpiece is placed on the intermediate station witha certain permitted inaccuracy and is positioned and/or fixed on it in aspecific position for a more accurate picking Provision canalternatively or additionally be made that the workpiece is placed downwhile gripped from a first side for changing the orientation at thegripper and is picked up again while gripped from the other side.

The method in this respect advantageously takes place as was alreadypresented above with respect to the apparatus. The method in accordancewith the invention can in this respect in particular take place whileusing an apparatus in accordance with the invention.

The present invention furthermore comprises a computer program for thecarrying out of a method as was presented above. In this respect, thecomputer program in particular comprises commands which implement themethod in accordance with the invention on an apparatus for theautomated handling of workpieces. The computer program in accordancewith the invention can in this respect in particular be used forimplementing a control for an apparatus in accordance with the inventionas was presented above.

All the steps in the handling of the workpieces advantageously takeplace by the method in accordance with the invention and/or by theapparatus in accordance with the invention in a fully automated mannerand without a user intervention being necessary.

The subject of the present invention will now be described in moredetail with reference to embodiments and to drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a detection in accordance with the inventionof workpieces and of a corresponding control of a gripper.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of an apparatus which can be used formoving a gripper in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of an apparatus which can be used formoving a gripper in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4a shows a first embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention for the automated removal of workpieces randomly arranged in acontainer.

FIG. 4b shows an alternative embodiment of a transport path as can beused on the intermediate station in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a.

FIG. 5 shows a first gripper of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a.

FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the gripper shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a second gripper of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a travelable object recognition device ascan be used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a.

FIG. 9 shows the travelable object recognition device shown in FIG. 8 ina side view.

FIG. 10 shows a second embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention for the automated removal of workpieces randomly arranged in acontainer in which an embodiment of an intermediate station inaccordance with the invention having a revolving transport path is used.

FIG. 11 shows a third embodiment of an apparatus for the automatedremoval of workpieces randomly arranged in a container, which is basedon the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a and which furthermore comprises anembodiment of a second intermediate station on which workpieces can beplaced in at least one receiver.

FIG. 12 shows the embodiment of a second intermediate station as is usedin the apparatus in accordance with FIG. 11 in a detailed view.

FIG. 13 shows a fourth embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention for the automated removal of workpieces randomly arranged in acontainer, which is based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a and whichfurthermore comprises a second embodiment of a second intermediatestation on which workpieces can be placed in a receiver.

FIG. 14 shows a fifth embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention for the automated removal of workpieces randomly arranged in acontainer which is based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a and whichfurthermore comprises a measuring device by means of which a measurementof the picking accuracy is possible.

FIG. 15 shows a detailed representation of an embodiment of a measuringdevice in accordance with the invention in which the picking accuracycan be measured.

FIG. 16 shows an embodiment of a gripper in accordance with theinvention with a stabilizer element.

FIG. 17 shows a sectional view through the embodiment of a gripper shownin FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 shows a first embodiment of a compensation unit in accordancewith the invention.

FIG. 19 shows a sectional view through the compensation unit shown inFIG. 18.

FIG. 20 shows a second embodiment of a compensation unit in accordancewith the invention.

FIG. 21 shows a front view of and a sectional view through thecompensation unit shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 shows a side view of the compensation unit shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 23 shows a flowchart of a method for detecting workpieces inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 24 shows a flowchart of a method for the picking in accordance withthe invention of workpieces from a container.

FIG. 25 shows a flowchart of a method for the picking in accordance withthe invention of workpieces from an intermediate station.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of apparatus for the automated handling of workpieces willbe presented in the following in which the present invention is used.

The individual embodiments in this respect in particular serve the fullyautomatic singularization and/or positioning of workpieces. In thisrespect, any desired elements can be handled as workpieces, inparticular also asymmetrical workpieces beside workpieces with one ormore planes or symmetry or axes of symmetry. Furthermore, workpieces canbe handled in this respect which only have one gripping point orworkpieces having a plurality of gripping points. The apparatus inaccordance with the invention can in this respect in particular be usedfor handling metal workpieces. The workpieces can, however, naturallycomprise any desired materials and in particular also plastic. Theworkpieces can furthermore also comprise a plurality of materials, forexample a combination of plastic parts and metal parts.

In part in this respect, a gripper for picking the workpiece is combinedwith an object recognition device for detecting the workpieces so thatthe gripper can be controlled using the data determined by the objectrecognition device. Such apparatus in particular serve the automatedhandling of randomly arranged workpieces.

The object recognition device for detecting the workpieces can in thisrespect comprise any desired sensor whose data allow an objectrecognition of the workpieces. A laser scanner can in particular be usedin this respect. Alternatively or additionally, the object recognitiondevice can comprise one or more cameras. The object recognition devicein this respect preferably allows a 3D object recognition.Alternatively, however, a 2D or 2.5D object recognition is conceivable.

FIG. 1 shows the typical routine on the detection of randomly arrangedworkpieces and the corresponding control of a gripper. In step 1, ameasurement is carried out by the object recognition device by whichdata is obtained. These data are processed in a step 2 to allow anidentification of the individual workpieces in a step 3. Optionally, theobject recognition device can, however, also work using already knownpositional data of the workpieces.

In step 4, a workpiece which can be picked by the gripper is selectedfrom the identified workpieces. In step 5, the track for the gripper orfor the gripping arm moving the gripper is calculated using thepositional data of the selected workpiece. In step 6, this track is thenchecked for possible collisions with interfering edges to preventcollisions. If a collision-free track is found, it is used in step 7 forcontrolling the gripper, i.e. for traveling the gripper into a pickingposition toward the selected workpiece.

Such a method can in this respect always be used when a detection of theworkpieces and a corresponding control of a gripper take place inaccordance with the present invention.

The apparatus and methods in accordance with the invention can in thisrespect in particular serve the handling of randomly arranged workpiecessince the position of the workpieces can be determined by a suitableobject recognition device and therefore does not have to be known inadvance. The present invention can naturally, however, also be used whenthe workpieces are already arranged in a certain order.

Any desired apparatus having a plurality of axes of movement can be usedfor moving the gripper and the gripper can be moved on a defined trackand can be traveled toward the workpiece to be picked via the control ofsaid axes of movement.

In FIG. 2, a first embodiment of such an apparatus for moving a gripperis shown, with it being a multiaxial robot 10. It is in this respect asix-axial robot in the embodiment. It comprises a base 11 on which apedestal 12 is arranged rotatably about a vertical axis of rotation. Apivot arm is pivotably arranged about a horizontal pivot axis at thepedestal 12. A rotary arm 14 is arranged around a horizontal pivot axisat the pivot arm 13. The rotary arm 14 furthermore more has an axis ofrotation which allows a rotation about an axis of rotation arranged inparallel with the rotary arm 14. A gripping arm 15 is arranged around apivot axis arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotaryarm 14 at the rotary arm 14. The gripping arm has an axis of rotationwhich stands perpendicular on the pivot axis. In accordance with theinvention, a gripper can be arranged at the gripping arm and can thus bemoved and pivoted in space via the control of the axes of movement ofthe robot.

In FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment for an apparatus for moving agripper is shown which can be used in all embodiments of the presentinvention instead of a robot. In this respect, it is a surface portalwhich has three linear axes of movement and is additionally equippedwith a further axis of rotation. In this respect, portal rails 21 areprovided at which a portal bar 22 is arranged in a linearly travelablemanner. A slide 23 is likewise arranged in a linearly travelable mannerat the portal bar 22. An arm is arranged travelable in the verticaldirection at the slide 23. This arm is additionally equipped with anaxis of rotation 25. The arm can in this respect have a gripper inaccordance with the present invention at its lower end.

In FIG. 4a , a first embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention for the automated removal of workpieces is shown whichcombines an object recognition device 30 for detecting the workpieceswith a first gripper 34 for picking the workpieces to remove theworkpieces arranged randomly in a container from the container using thefirst gripper 34. In this respect, the workpieces are not arrangeddirectly at a target receiver by the first gripper 34, but are ratherplaced down in a random arrangement on the intermediate station fromwhere they are positioned more accurately via a second gripper 41.

The embodiment in this respect has a receiver 31 for a container, notshown, with workpieces randomly arranged therein. Furthermore, achanneling in and channeling out device 32 can be provided for suchcontainers. The object recognition device 30 for detecting theworkpieces in the container is provided above the container, not shown.Its data are evaluated as initially described such that the workpiecesare gripped in the container via the first gripper 34 and can be removedfrom it. The first gripper 34 is in this respect moved via a robot 33 inthe embodiment. Alternatively, a surface portion can also be used here.

In the embodiment, a magnetic gripper is used as the first gripper 34since such a magnetic gripper makes less high demands on the deliveryaccuracy of the gripper to the workpiece and is therefore better suitedactually to empty containers 100% having workpieces which are arrangedchaotically in them and which moreover can be stacked over one anotherin random positions, as is possible in accordance with the embodiment ofthe present invention.

It is in particular possible with a magnetic gripper also to pickworkpieces having a non-ideal picking position. In this respect, acertain offset can in particular be present between the gripping surfaceof the magnetic gripper and a main surface of the workpiece. Inaddition, a picking is optionally also possible when the magneticgripper only engages at the highest point of a workpiece. If the controlcan therefore not identify any workpiece which can be ideally pickedusing the data of the object recognition device, that is with which anideal superimposition of the gripping surface and a main surface of theworkpiece is present, a picking with an offset or a picking at a highestpoint can alternatively be made use of Such a picking can equally bemade use of when another picking strategy did not result in the pickingup of a part.

A pneumatic gripper could also be used alternatively to the magneticgripper 34. It is equally conceivable to replace the magnetic gripper 34shown in the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 4a by a mechanicalgripper if the workpieces are shaped such that they can also be reliablypicked in the container by a mechanical gripper.

The first object recognition device 30 can furthermore be used torecognize workpieces which arrived erroneously in the container. If aworkpiece is detected in this respect which does not satisfy therequired workpiece criteria and is therefore not to be positioned at atarget receiver, this can be separated out, for example in that theworkpiece is picked and is placed in a corresponding container.

In accordance with the embodiment, the workpieces are not arranged at atarget receiver by the first gripper, but are rather placed on anintermediate station from where they are picked up again by the secondgripper 41 and are then positioned more accurately. The placing down ofthe workpieces on the intermediate station can take place in a randomarrangement in this respect. The workpieces can in this respect inparticular be dropped by the gripper 34 from a predefined height onto aplacing region 35 of the intermediate station. The placing region 35 isin this respect configured as a sloping plane from which the workpiecesslide to a further transport zone.

The placing region 35 can have one or more height sensors whichdetermine the height of a workpiece arranged at the gripper 34 above theplacing region. In this respect, in particular a light barrierarrangement 37 can be provided which is arranged to the side of theslanted plane 35. If in this respect a workpiece arranged at the gripper34 arrives in the region of the light barrier arrangement, this meansthat the workpiece is arranged at a certain height above the slantedplane 35. The gripper 34 thereupon drops the workpiece. This procedurehas the advantage that the position of the workpieces at the gripper 34does not have to be exactly known. Collisions of the gripper with theplacing region are nevertheless prevented. Provision can in this respectin particular be made that the gripper 34 first moves in a horizontaldirection into a position above the placing region 35 after the pickingup of a workpiece from the container and then lowers it so far until thevertical sensor responds.

The intermediate station furthermore has a transport belt 38 whichtransports the workpieces from the placement region 35 on to a removalregion 44.

The workpieces in this respect slide from the slanted plane onto thetransport belt 38, with the slanted plan 35 being able to be bounded bylateral abutment regions 36 which narrow the slanted plane downwardly sothat the workpieces are directed to a defined further transport regionof the transport belt.

This further transport region is advantageously equipped with anoccupation sensor 39. It can in this respect in particular be a lightbarrier arrangement which determines the height of the workpieces placedon the transport belt. If a plurality of workpieces are stacked aboveone another, the occupation sensor responds. In this case, the furtherloading of the intermediation station by the first gripper 34 is stoppeduntil the occupation sensor again signals a sufficiently free furthertransport region.

The workpieces are transported on the transport belt 38 into the removalregion 44 and are there picked by the second gripper 41 to be positionedmore accurately or to be singularized. In this respect, a second objectrecognition device 42 is provided which detects the workpieces in theremoval region, with the second gripper 41 being controlled withreference to the data of the second object recognition device. A robot40 is in turn provided for moving the second gripper 41. Alternatively,a surface portal could also be made use of here.

The second object recognition device 42 is necessary for picking theworkpieces since they lie in a random arrangement on the intermediatestation or on the transport belt. The picking situation on theintermediate station is, however, substantially simpler than with thecontainer since the workpieces are all arranged in the same plane, i.e.on the transport belt, at least in the vertical direction. In addition,the workpieces are already presingularized and so can be picked moreeasily. In addition, the workpieces have a defined distance from theobject recognition device 42 so that it works more accurately.

The second object recognition device 42 can furthermore be used torecognize workpieces which arrived erroneously on the intermediatestation. If in this respect a workpiece is detected on the intermediatestation which does not satisfy the required workpiece criteria and istherefore not to be positioned at a target receiver, it can be separatedout, for example in that the workpiece is picked and is placed into acorresponding container or in that it is not picked and transported viathe transport belt further into a container.

Provision can be made in this respect that the second object recognitiondevice allows a more accurate detection of the workpieces than the firstobject recognition device so that incorrect workpieces are reliablyrecognized on the intermediate station.

In accordance with the invention, a mechanical gripper 41 can thereforebe used as the second gripper which admittedly makes higher demands onthe delivery of the gripper to the workpiece, but also allows asubstantially more exact picking and positioning of the workpieces. Inthe embodiment, the mechanical gripper is a finger gripper, inparticular a two-finger gripper such as will be presented later.

The control of the transport belt is in this respect in communicationwith the object recognition device 42 and the control of the gripper 41.In this respect, the transport belt stops in each case when a detectionof the workpieces and the following picking of a workpiece by thegripper 41 takes place. If, in contrast, there are no longer anyworkpieces in the removal region 44, the transport belt is moved onuntil workpieces are again located in the removal region 44. For thispurpose, a light barrier arranged laterally at the transport belt in theremoval region can optionally also be used for this purpose in additionto the data of the object recognition device.

The side walls of the transport belt 38 can be chamfered, as can berecognized in FIG. 4a . It is hereby prevented that workpieces remain inunfavorable positions directly at the side wall which do not allow anypicking.

Provision can furthermore be made that a reorientation apparatus isprovided transversely over the transport belt 38 which flips overunfavorably arranged workpieces and thus brings them into a betterposition for picking by the second gripper 41. For example, a flap, notshown, or an abutment bar can be provided for this purpose which arearranged above the transport belt 38. Such a reorientation apparatus canin particular be arranged between the further transport belt 38 and theremoval region 44 of the transport belt.

In this respect, provision can be made in accordance with the inventionthat workpieces which cannot be picked at all by the gripper 41 fallinto a collection container arranged at the end of the transport path38. Alternatively, a peripheral transport belt 43 can be provided suchas will be described in more detail later.

Alternatively to the transport belt which is used as the transportdevice in FIG. 4a , a number of other alternatives are available for theconfiguration of the transport device. The basic idea of theintermediate station is in this respect the design with a loading sideand an unloading side, a transport device between the two sides and afurther object recognition device over the removal side. The transportfrom one side to the other side can take place as follows, for example:

Driven transport device:

-   -   Linearly working transport device    -   Pusher, shuttle, slide, in particular driven by linear drives        such as a pneumatic cylinder    -   Transport belt    -   Circular    -   Round, segment table, circular store    -   Loop or circular belt    -   A plurality of planes above one another    -   From bottom to top    -   From top to bottom

Non-driven transport devices:

-   -   Slanted plane on which the workpieces slide down        Combination of the above-named driven transport devices and/or        non-driven transport devices.

The position of the workpiece is preferably changed during the transportto increase the removal accuracy (place down inaccurately, removeaccurately). This can be achieved by end abutments, guide rails withchamfer, spring mechanisms, etc. The intermediate station canfurthermore also be used as a transfer picking site.

In this respect an alternative configuration of the transport device onthe intermediate station is shown in FIG. 4b such as can be used in theembodiment shown in FIG. 4a . In the upper region, the first gripper 33is shown which picks the workpieces from the container and places themin the placing region 38 on the intermediate station. In the lowerregion, the second gripper 40 is shown which removes the workpieces inthe removal region 44. The second object recognition device 42 isfurthermore shown which is arranged in the region of the removal region44.

In this respect a first transport plate 301 is provided as the transportdevice which can be traveled from the placing region 38 to the removalregion 44 and back via a linear drive 302 such as a pneumatic cylinder.In addition, a second transport plate 303 is provided which can likewisebe traveled from the placing region 38 to the removal region 44 and backvia the linear drive 304. The two transport plates and linear drives canbe configured identically in this respect. The two transport devices canfurthermore be arranged in parallel with one another. An empty transportplate is always available for loading or a filled transport plate forunloading through the embodiment with two transport plates so that thesystem can work without waiting times.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, an embodiment of a first gripper in accordance withthe invention is now shown again such as can in particular be used forpicking up the workpieces from a container. It is a magnetic gripper 34in this respect. In this respect, a magnetic gripping surface 47 isprovided at the lower side of the gripper. The magnetic gripper 34 inthis respect has an electromagnet which generates a magnetic force onthe magnetic gripping surface 47 for holding magnetizable objects.

The gripper in accordance with the invention is arranged cropped at theend member of the gripping arm, for example at the end member of thegripping arm of a robot 33. In this respect, a central axis of thegripper 34 or of the magnetic gripping surface 47 is arranged offset bya spacing 48 from an axis of rotation of the last pivot joint of thegripping arm. For this purpose, a cropped arm 45 is provided whichconnects the magnetic gripper 34 to the gripping arm. It is possible bythe cropped configuration of the gripper also to use it directly next toa side wall of the container in the interior of the container forpicking workpieces. It is thus in particular avoided that interferingedges further up at the gripping arm prevent a moving of the magneticgripper directly to a wall region of the container.

A compensation unit 46 such as will be described in more detail in thefollowing can furthermore be provided. This prevents an overload of thegripping arm from taking place on a collision of the gripper 34 withinterfering edges or with workpieces. In addition, it is prevented thata safety deactivation of the robot is activated which would only be ableto be bridged manually.

In FIG. 7, an embodiment of the second gripper 41 is shown which islikewise arranged at a gripping arm of a robot 40. In the embodiment, atwo-finger gripper having fingers 50 which can be traveled in a linearmanner is used as the gripper in this respect. The fingers can in thisrespect move into cut-outs of the correspondingly shaped workpieces andcan grip the workpiece by moving apart or moving together. Withdifferently shaped workpieces, other mechanical grippers can naturallyalso be used, in particular three-finger or multifinger grippers or bargrippers. A compensation unit 49 which protects the robot arm fromoverload on collisions is also provided in the embodiment shown in FIG.7.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of an object recognition device for detectingworkpieces which can be traveled from a position of rest into ameasuring position and back by a travel arrangement.

The object recognition device shown in FIG. 8 can in this respect inparticular be used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a as an objectrecognition device 30 for detecting the workpieces in a container. Thesecond object recognition device 42 used in the embodiment shown in FIG.4a for detecting the workpieces on the intermediate station is incontrast rigid in the embodiment. Alternatively, however, this objectrecognition device 42 could also have a travel arrangement to be able totravel from a position of rest into a measuring position and back.

The object recognition device shown in FIG. 8 has a sensor 30 whichdetects the workpieces. The sensor 30 is arranged at a sensor arm 52which is arranged in a travelable manner at a guide rail 54. The guiderail 54 is in turn arranged at a mounting bar 51 in order to thus beable to mount the fastening pieces 55 on a pedestal. The exactarrangement of the two pedestal columns can be recognized in FIG. 4 a.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a , the object recognition device is inthis respect arranged on pedestal columns such that the containers canbe led between the pedestal columns on the channeling into a removalposition.

As can be recognized in FIGS. 8 and 9, the sensor 30 can be traveledalong the guide rail 54 by moving the sensor arm 52. In the embodiment,the object recognition device is structured in this respect such thatthe sensor 30 can be traveled in a horizontal direction.

In the position of rest, the object recognition device is locatedoutside a collision region with the first gripper 34 so that it has freeaccess to the container. The sensor 30 is then traveled over thecontainer by traveling out the sensor arm 52 into the measuring positionin which the detection of the workpieces takes place for detecting theworkpieces in the container. In its measuring position, the sensor 30 islocated approximately centrally above the container. After themeasurement, the sensor is again moved back into the position of rest inwhich it is arranged outside the base surface of the container.

In this respect, the movements of the object recognition device and ofthe removal gripper 35 are synchronized with one another so that thedetection of the workpieces in the container always takes place when thegripper 34 places a workpiece on the intermediate station. The objectrecognition device is then traveled back into the position of rest sothat the gripper 34 can remove a new workpiece from the container. Inthe following placing of the workpiece on the intermediate station, ameasurement in turn takes place.

A similar procedure would in this respect also be conceivable with thesecond object recognition device 42 and the second gripper 41.

Alternatively or additionally, the object recognition device could alsobe traveled in the vertical direction. On the one hand, such a verticaltravel capability could be used in the same way as the horizontal travelcapability to move the sensor out of a collision region with the gripperwhen the latter picks up a workpiece and to move it closer toward theworkpieces again to carry out a detection. In addition, it would beconceivable to track the object recognition device in a verticaldirection with an emptying filling level of the container so that theobject recognition device is always arranged in an unchanging distanceregion from the workpieces arranged the highest in the container in themeasurement. A constant detection quality can hereby be achieved.

In the embodiment, a laser scanner can be used as a sensor of the objectrecognition device. The scanner can in this respect transmit a pluralityof laser beams at small intervals so that a fan of laser beams iscreated. The fan formed by the laser beams is then pivoted over thedetection region by pivoting the sensor, whereby a spatial detection ofthe detection region takes place. Geometrical data are created in thisrespect by distance measurement using the laser beams.

An arrangement of the sensor approximately centrally above the containerin this respect has the advantage that the side walls of the containerdo not form shadows. The travel capability of the sensor in this respectmakes it possible to position the sensor in the measuring position at asufficiently small distance from the workpieces to be measured andnevertheless not to come into conflict with the gripper or with thegripper arm moving the gripper. This is in particular of specialimportance when detecting the workpieces in the container since thescanner has to be positioned so low above the container, at least whenit cannot be traveled vertically, that it still detects workpieces withsufficient accuracy with an almost emptied container.

In FIG. 10, a further embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention for the automated removal of workpieces from a container isshown which is based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a and in which theperipheral transport path of the intermediate station is provided whichis only indicated schematically in FIG. 4a . Except for the differentlyconfigured intermediate station, all the components in this respectcorrespond to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a so that reference is madeto the description there with regard to the total design of theapparatus.

The intermediate station also has a first transport belt 38 in theembodiment shown in FIG. 10, which transport belt transports workpiecesplaced in a placing region 35 to a removal region 44. The workpieces arethere detected by the object recognition device 42 and are picked andremoved by the gripper 41 which is moved by the gripping arm 40.

In accordance with the invention, the intermediate station shown in FIG.10 is now equipped with a return path 60 which allows workpieces notremoved in the removal region 44 to run around. The return path 60 is inthis respect likewise a transport belt which is arranged next to thefirst transport belt 38 and is moved in the opposite direction. Thereturn path 60 in this respect ensures that workpieces not removed inthe removal region 44 are transported back and again arrive on the firsttransport belt 38 so that they again move into the removal region 44where they can again be detected and picked.

If therefore a workpieces on its first detection lies at such a positionin the removal region 44 that it cannot be picked or can only be pickedwith difficulty, the control can dispense with a picking attempt and canallow the workpiece to run around. The circulation path is in thisrespect designed such that the workpiece is very highly likely to arrivein the removal region 44 in a different position on the next circulationso that there is a high probability that the workpiece lies in aposition which can be picked more easily on the second attempt.Workpieces with which an unsuccessful picking attempt was made can alsobe treated in the same way.

The removal region could also be arranged in the region of the returnpath in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 without the function of theintermediate station changing.

Since the workpieces lie randomly arranged on the transport belts 38 and60, the probability is very high that they change their position on thecirculation. This can be assisted by further measures in accordance withthe invention. An abutment 61 is thus provided, for example, whichextends obliquely over the first transport belt 38 and forces theworkpieces from the first transport belt 38 onto the return path 60. Inthe same way, an abutment 62 is provided at the end of the return path60 which conveys the workpiece back onto the first transport path 38again. In this respect, a positional change of the workpieces iseffected solely by the contact with the abutments and the forcing ontothe respective other belt.

Provision can furthermore be made that the workpieces run through avertical difference during the circulation. A slanted plane or an edgehaving a vertical difference can in particular be provided in thisrespect over which the workpieces are forced. A position change is alsohereby effected. At the same time, workpieces caught up with one anothercan optionally be separated from one another.

In this respect, a slanted plane which the workpieces slide down isadvantageously provided in the transition region between the firsttransport belt 38 and the return path 60. The first transport path 38 inthis respect advantageously extends in the vertical direction, whereasthe return path 60 is arranged obliquely so that a vertical differenceresults in at least one of the two end regions of the two transportpaths.

To prevent parts which cannot be picked from remaining on thecirculation path for an unlimited time, a separation mode can beprovided in which the circulation is ended under certain conditions andthe workpieces are emptied into a collection container 63. The abutment61 can in particular be moved for this purpose such that the workpiecesare transported via the first transport path 38 up to its end and intothe container 63 placed there.

In this respect, in particular a separation mode can be provided inwhich no new workpieces are placed onto the intermediate station by thefirst gripper. At least one picking attempt then takes place with allthe workplaces located on the intermediate station. In this respect, aplurality of circulations can optionally also be carried out. Theworkpieces then remaining on the intermediate station can then beemptied into the container 63. It is thereupon in turn possible toswitch into the normal mode.

The separation mode can furthermore be used to separate out workpieceswhich erroneously arrived on the intermediate station. The separationmode can thus be activated when a workpiece was detected on theintermediate station which does not satisfy the demanded workpiececriteria and is therefore not to be positioned at a target receiver.

In the embodiment of an intermediate station shown in FIG. 10, thereorientation device 64 is also shown which was already described withregard to the embodiment in FIG. 4a , but which was not shown there. Inthis respect, it is a flap which is arranged above the first transportbelt 38 between the placing region and the removal region. The flap 64should in this respect in particular flip over workpieces standing ontheir edge to make them easier to pick.

In FIG. 11, a further embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in acontainer is shown. This embodiment is also based on the embodimentshown in FIG. 4a so that reference is first made to the description ofthe embodiment shown in FIG. 4a with respect to the configuration.

On the one hand, the channeling in and out for containers withworkpieces is shown which is only shown schematically in FIG. 4a . Theyare put to one side and are moved from there in an automated fashioninto the removal region 31. The workpieces are now removed after oneanother by the first gripper 34 until the container is 100% empty. Theemptied container is thereupon moved to the channeling out path and ischanneled out from there.

In this respect, a safety detection of the container interioradvantageously takes place again after the removal of the last workpieceto ensure that actually no more workpieces remain in the container. Iftherefore the control only identifies a single workpiece on a detectionprocedure and if the gripper was controlled accordingly to remove it, afurther detection procedure is nevertheless initiated. Only in this waycan it be ensured that the last detected workpiece was also actuallyremoved.

Furthermore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 shows a second intermediatestation 65 on which the workpieces removed from the first intermediatestation by the gripper 41 are placed to be picked again. The placing onthe second intermediate station in this respect takes place in a definedposition, with the placing serving to be able to pick more accurately onthe picking up and/or to be able to vary the orientation of theworkpiece at the gripper. The second intermediate station canfurthermore also serve as a buffer store.

An embodiment of such an intermediate station 65 is shown in FIG. 12.The intermediate station has at least one receiver 67 for the workpiecesinto which the workpiece can be placed in a defined position andorientation. In the embodiment, in this respect, a plurality of suchreceivers 67 are arranged next to one another so that the intermediatestation also serves as a buffer store.

The receivers 67 have a compensation apparatus 70 which also allows aplacing of the workpieces in the receiver 67 with a certain positionaloffset in that the receiver is moved by the contact with the workpieceto be placed down. For this purpose, the receiver 67 has receiver steps72 against which a badly positioned workpiece first abuts and in sodoing causes a movement of the receiver by which the workpiece can beplaced in the receiver.

The receiver 67 thus allows a placing of workpieces in a definedpositional region and thus in particular also allows the placing ofworkpieces not exactly picked in a desired position.

The compensation unit 70 can be fixed on the intermediate station sothat the receiver and thus the workpiece is arranged in a defineddesired position for the removal. The removal of the workpiece canhereby take place with a greater accuracy.

The receivers 67 are displaceable on rails 69 at the intermediatestation. In this respect, the receivers can be displaced from a loadingposition, in which the compensation unit allows a movement of thereceivers 67, into a removal position in which the compensation unit isfixed. Abutments 71 are provided for this purpose into which thereceiver 67 is traveled and which fix the receiver in a definedposition.

The placing and the removal of workpieces onto the second intermediatestation 65 in this respect in each case advantageously takes place bymechanical grippers since they have a relatively high picking accuracyby which the workpieces can be placed in a defined manner in thereceivers and can be picked up again with a higher accuracy.

The picking of the workpieces on the second intermediate station in thisrespect takes place without a previous detection of the workpieces inthat the grippers are traveled to the known removal position of thereceiver.

The receivers are furthermore designed so that the workpieces can bepicked from two different directions. In the embodiment, the workpiecesin this respect have cut-outs into which the fingers of a finger gripperengage. The receivers are designed in this respect such that thecut-outs are accessible from two sides in the workpieces when aworkpiece is arranged in the receiver. The orientation of the workpieceat the gripper can hereby be reversed in that the workpiece is pickedfrom one side on the placing down, but from the other side on thepicking up.

In this respect, the placing down and the picking up can take place bythe same gripper. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, however, twoseparate grippers are used.

In the embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention shownin FIG. 13, which is likewise based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a ,a further embodiment for a second intermediate station 73 is now shown.This intermediate station also has at least one receiver 74 in whichworkpieces can be placed down in a defined manner. The receiver is inthis respect designed in exactly the same way as the receivers shown inFIG. 12.

The intermediate station shown in FIG. 13 in this respect has atransport belt by which the receiver 74, which is at least movable to acertain extent on the transport belt, can be traveled toward abutmentsto fix it in its position. A compensation unit is also hereby providedwhich allows a placing down of the workpieces in the receiver 74 with acertain offset and which nevertheless moves the workpiece or thereceiver for removal into a defined position so that picking can againtake place with higher accuracy. Furthermore, picking can also takeplace here from both sides to change the orientation of the workpiece atthe gripper.

The intermediate station 73 shown in FIG. 13 is furthermore equippedwith a functional unit 75 which the workpieces run through on theintermediate station. The functional unit is in this respect ademagnetization station through which the workpieces are guided on theintermediate station.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the same mechanical gripper 41 is inthis respect used both for placing the workpieces on the intermediatestation 73 and for removing the workpieces.

Furthermore, a determination of the picking accuracy can take place withan apparatus for the automated handling of workpieces in accordance withthe present invention. It can in this respect in particular bedetermined whether and/or how much the position of a workpiece picked upat the gripper differs relative to the gripper from a predefined desiredpicking position or from a predefined desired picking position region.The process routing of the handling is advantageously then controlled independence on the result of such a picking accuracy determination.

In this respect, an embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with theinvention is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 with which the picking accuracy isdetermined by traveling the gripper with the workpiece toward a separatemeasuring device 77. For this purpose, the gripper 41 is traveled into adefined position before the measuring device 77 when it has picked aworkpiece 78. The measuring device 77 then determines the position ofthe workpiece 78 and can thus determine the relative position betweenthe workpiece and the gripper from the known position of the gripper andthe position of the workpiece. A determination of the picking accuracyor of the position of the workpiece at the gripper is hereby possible.

In the embodiment, the separate measuring device 77 has laser sensors 79in this respect. In the embodiment, a three-point measurement is carriedout in this respect.

A determination of the picking accuracy can in particular be ofadvantage with mechanical grippers since they admittedly allow arelatively exact picking of the workpieces, but there are also degreesof freedom on picking here. If it is a finger gripper or a jaw gripper,the workpiece can usually be picked in different positions at least withrespect to the delivery direction of the gripper to the workpiece. Withthe finger gripper, this relates to the question how far the fingersengage into a corresponding receiver at the workpiece or how far thefingers engage around the workpiece.

In the embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention shownin FIG. 14 which is based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a , thepicking accuracy of the gripper 41 which is used for removing theworkpieces from the first intermediate station is in this respectdetermined. Alternatively, however, the picking accuracy on the removalof a workpiece from a second intermediate station could also bedetermined.

Alternatively to the separate measuring device which is shown in FIGS.14 and 15 and toward which the gripper can be traveled, a sensorarranged at the gripper itself can also be used for determining thepicking accuracy. An embodiment for such a sensor will be described inmore detail in the following.

The result of the determination of the picking accuracy can in thisrespect be used in different manners for controlling the apparatus.

On the one hand, it is possible that a picking error on the placing ofthe workpiece recognized in this determination is compensated by acorresponding control of the gripper or of the gripping arm moving it.This substantially corresponds to a zero point adjustment of the gripperon placing which changed in dependence on a deviation of the workpiecefrom a desired picking position.

It is furthermore conceivable that poorly picked workpieces are placeddown again to be picked again. Such a procedure can in particular besensible when the picking accuracy lies outside a predefined permittedregion.

In this respect, the workpiece can be placed back on the transport belton the picking from an intermediate station with a transport belt suchas is shown in FIG. 4 or 14, for example, when the picking accuracyfalls below certain criteria. In an advantageous manner, the workpieceis in this respect placed onto the transport belt in a position fromwhere the workpiece again arrives in the removal region. The workpieceis in this respect advantageously again detected and then again pickedusing the data determined from this. In this respect, the probability ishigh that the workpiece can now be picked with sufficient accuracy.

In this respect, a combination of the two procedures is alsoconceivable. If the accuracy therefore lies outside a permitted region,the workpiece is placed back. Otherwise, the determined deviation from adesired picking position on the placing down of the workpiece iscompensated by a corresponding movement.

In FIG. 16, an embodiment of a gripper in accordance with the inventionwith a stabilizer element is shown. In the embodiment, it is in thisrespect a mechanical gripper with which the workpiece is picked. Toprevent positional changes of the workpiece at the gripper, while thegripper is moved, the stabilizer element 80 is traveled toward thepicked workpiece. The stabilizer element 80 has a stabilizer plate atwhich contact elements are provided for contacting the workpiece. Theadditional contact points thus provide a positional fixing of theworkpiece at the gripper.

In the embodiment the gripper is configured as a two-finger gripperhaving the two gripping fingers 50 which are introduced into cut-outs ofthe workpieces for picking. The two contact points established by thetwo gripping fingers 50, however, do not fix the workpiece in a clearposition with respect to the gripper so that only the further contactpoints of the stabilization element establish a defined position of theworkpiece at the gripper. The contact points of the stabilizer elementare in this respect advantageously arranged remote from line connectingthe two gripping fingers 50 in this respect.

In the embodiment, the stabilizer element 80 is arranged in the regionof the two gripping fingers and is attached around it. The stabilizerelement could, however, also be arranged in any other position at thegripper.

The design of the stabilizer element can again be recognized in thesectional view shown in FIG. 17. In this respect, the stabilizer plate81 can be recognized at which, for example, contact elements can bearranged in the region 82. The stabilizer plate 81 surrounds thegripping finger 50 in this respect in the form of a ring or of ahorse-shoe in the embodiment.

The stabilizer plate 81 is arranged at a cylinder 83 by which it can betraveled to the workpiece. The cylinder 83 is a pneumatic cylinder. Thestabilizer element can thus be traveled toward the workpiece whenpneumatic pressure is applied at the one side of the cylinder or can betraveled in when pressure is applied to the other side of the cylinder.

The end abutments 84 and 85 of the cylinder 83 are equipped with sensorswhich recognize whether the stabilizer element is located in one of itsend abutment regions. A determination of the picking accuracy is herebypossible since the moving-out distance of the stabilizer element dependson the position of the picked workpiece at the gripper.

If the stabilizer element is in this respect located in the active statein one of its end abutment regions, an insufficient picking accuracy isconcluded since the gripper was then either traveled too far into theworkpiece or not far enough. A more precise determination of the pickingaccuracy could naturally also take place by a measurement of thepush-out length of the cylinder 83.

Alternatively to the sensor arrangement integrated into the stabilizerelement 82 for determining the picking accuracy, a separate sensor wouldalso be conceivable which is arranged at the gripper. For example, inthis respect, a laser sensor could be used which is arranged at thegripper to determine the picking accuracy.

In FIG. 17, a compensation unit 49 can also be seen via which thegripper is fastened to a gripping arm.

In FIGS. 18 and 19, a first embodiment of such a compensation unit isshown in more detail. In this respect, a base element 90 is provided atwhich a compensation plate 91 is arranged. The compensation plate 91 isengaged around by holding elements 92 of the base element 90. A springarrangement 93 which presses the compensation plate 91 toward theholding regions 92 is arranged between the base element 90 and thecompensation plate 91. In the embodiment, in this respect, a pluralityof coil springs are provided which are arranged in corresponding springsleeves. However, any desired other embodiments of such a springarrangement are also conceivable.

The spring force of the spring arrangement is in this respect selectedsuch that the compensation plate 91 is held rigidly at the base unit 90in normal operation of the gripper. Only in the case of a collision ofthe gripper or of the workpiece arranged therein with an interferingedge or with another workpiece does the spring arrangement 93 allow arelative movement between the compensation plate 91 and the base element90. The forces exerted on the gripping arm are hereby limited. It can inparticular thus be prevented that the emergency stop of a robot used formoving the gripper or of a surface portal engages.

The force of the spring arrangement 93 can in this respect be set sothat the compensation element can be adapted to the correspondingpurpose. The setting of the spring force can in this respect inparticular take place in that the gripper is moved together with apicked up workpiece into a 90° position to the vertical so that thestatic load by the gripper and the workpiece on the compensation unit isat a maximum. In this position, the preload of the spring arrangement 93is set so that no deflection of the compensation unit takes place. It ishereby ensured that no deflection of the compensation unit takes placeindependently of the orientation of the gripper by the static forcesalone which are applied to the compensation unit by the gripper and apicked up workpiece. Optionally, the preload of the spring arrangement93 can in this respect still be increased by a certain value in orderalso to take account of dynamic loads, for example on the accelerationof the gripper or of the gripper arm.

The preload of the spring arrangement 93, however, has to be selected sothat the compensation unit triggers before the emergency stop of thegripper arm engages.

The first embodiment of a compensation unit in accordance with theinvention can in this respect, for example, be used together with amechanical gripper. The first embodiment of a compensation unit inaccordance with the invention can in this respect in particular be usedfor the second gripper which picks up the workpieces from theintermediate station. Furthermore, the first embodiment of thecompensation unit in accordance with the invention can also be used withthe third gripper which picks up the workpieces from the secondintermediate station.

The first embodiment of the compensation unit in accordance with theinvention in this respect has a spherical operation and in particularallows tilt compensation movements. The compensation unit in thisrespect advantageously allows a maximum compensation angle between 2°and 10°, in particular between 4° and 6°.

In this respect, guide elements are furthermore provided which prevent arotation of the compensation plate 91 with respect to the base element90. In the embodiment, guide pins engage for this purpose laterally incorresponding cut-outs of the compensation plate 91.

The compensation plate is in this respect round in the embodiment andhas rounded edges to allow a pivot movement around any desired axes.

Contact sensors 94 are furthermore arranged in the region of the holdingregions 92. They monitor whether the compensation plate 91 lies on theholding regions or was deflected. Collisions of the gripper can herebybe detected. The sensors 94 in the embodiment are inductive sensors. Inthe embodiment, in this respect, a plurality of sensors are provided sothat information can be obtained on the direction of the deflection ofthe compensation plate 91. Four sensors are in particular provided inthis respect.

The data obtained from the sensors can in this respect be used forcontrolling the gripper as follows: In normal operation, thecompensation unit does not deflect so that the gripper adopts a definedposition with respect to the gripping arm which remains unaffected bythe compensation unit. On a collision, the compensation unit, however,deflects, which is recognized by the sensors 94.

In this case, the control still allows a certain adjustment path of thegripping arm which is, however, smaller than the compensation path ofthe compensation unit.

If the movement of the gripping arm, however, exceeds this permittedadjustment path after the recognition of a collision, the pickingprocedure is stopped and the gripper is traveled back into a zeroposition. A picking procedure is thereupon started again in that theworkpieces are first detected and then a new picking movement isinitiated. The compensation unit in this respect protects against anemergency stop of the robot, which could only be cancelled againmanually.

In FIGS. 20 to 22, a second embodiment of a compensation unit inaccordance with the invention is shown. This compensation unit combinesa compensation unit with a spherical operation as is shown in FIGS. 18and 19 with a compensation unit with a linear operation in order thus toincrease the compensation path.

The total compensation unit 200 in this respect first comprises thespherical compensation part 201 which substantially corresponds indesign to the first embodiment of a compensation unit and combines it inseries with a second compensation part 202 which has a linear operation.

As can in particular be recognized well in FIG. 21, the sphericallyoperating compensation part 201 has the same mechanical design as thefirst embodiment of a compensation unit in accordance with theinvention, with the same reference numerals also being used for thispurpose. In this respect, a base element 90 is in particular provided atwhich the compensation plate 91 is arranged and is engaged around byholding elements 92 of the base element 90. A spring arrangement 93which presses the compensation plate 91 toward the holding regions 92 isarranged between the base element 90 and the compensation plate 91. Inthis respect, adjustment elements 97 are shown via which the preload ofthe spring arrangement 93 can be changed.

The design of the spherically operating compensation part 201 differsfrom the first embodiment of a compensation unit in accordance with theinvention only with respect to the sensor which is used for detecting acompensation movement. Unlike in the first embodiment, in this respect alight barrier is used having a transmitter 99 a and a receiver 99 bwhose light path runs through a bore 98 through the compensation plate91. If the compensation plate 91 is deflected in this respect, itinterrupts the light path of the light barrier.

The sensor thus recognizes in accordance with the invention thecompensation movement of the spherically operating compensation part201. No sensor is in contrast provided for the linearly operatingcompensation part 202.

The linearly operating compensation part 202 is in this respect arrangedbetween the base element 90 and the gripping arm. In this respect,fastening regions 203 at which bars 204 are arranged are provided in thecorner regions of the base element 90. The bars 204 are guided in alinearly displaceable manner in guides 205 which are arranged at a plate210. The plate 210 is then in turn connected to the end of the grippingarm. The movement of the bars 204 in the guides 205 takes place againstthe preload of a spring arrangement 206 which can be set via adjustmentelements 207.

The two-stage compensation unit in accordance with the present inventionis combined in the embodiment with a magnetic gripper 211 and can becoupled via a cropped gripping arm extension 212 to a gripping arm, inparticular to a robot arm. For this purpose, the gripping arm extension212 has a coupling surface 213 with which it can be coupled to the lastpivot joint of a robot arm.

The two compensation parts 201 and 202 of the compensation unit areconfigured in this respect such that the spherically operatingcompensation unit 201 deflects first and only then the linearlyoperating compensation unit 202. The linearly working compensation unit202 can in this respect have a compensation path between 1.5 and 5 cm,preferably between 2 and 3 cm. This compensation path allows themovement of the gripper to be braked in good time in the event of acollision before the total compensation path of the compensation unithas been utilized.

The preload of the spring units of the second embodiment of acompensation unit could be set in the same manner as the spring load inthe first embodiment of a compensation element in accordance with theinvention. In this respect, the preload of the spring unit 93 could inparticular be set so that it also takes up the static loads from thegripper and a workpiece hung on with a gripper pivoted to the side by90° without deflecting the compensation unit. The preload of the springunit 206 of the linear part of the compensation unit were then be setcorrespondingly greater. In this respect, however, it must be taken intoaccount that the preloads of the two parts of the compensation unit haveto be set so that the compensation units still deflect beneath themaximum load limit of the robot arm. This is in particular difficult torealize with very heavy grippers or very heavy workpieces in which thestatic load already lies close to the maximum load of the gripping arm.

Alternatively, the preload of the spherical part of the compensationunit can therefore be set such that it only takes up the static load bythe magnetic gripper when it is located in a position directed 90° tothe side, but already deflects with a workpiece hung on in thisposition.

The present invention in this respect makes use of the fact that thegripper with the picked up workpiece can be moved immediately after thepicking up into a travel position in which the gripping surface facesdownward so that the static loads by the gripper and the workpiece aretaken up by the compensation unit without it being deflected. A slantedorientation of the gripper is, in contrast, only necessary on thetraveling toward the workpiece to bring the gripping surface of thegripper into coverage with the main surface or with the engagementpoints of the workpiece.

In this respect, the gripper advantageously travels perpendicular to thegripping surface toward the workpiece, picks it and is then traveledback in the opposite direction again together with the workpiece. Inthis respect, the signal of the sensor of the compensation unit is notconsidered for a certain path distance on the moving back in order notto evaluate a deflection of the compensation unit solely due to thestatic load by the workpiece hung on and/or due to dynamic loads due tothe traveling of the gripping arm erroneously as a collision. Duringthis path distance, the gripper is simultaneously traveled into a travelposition in which the gripping surface and thus the tool face verticallydownwardly and thus do not act against the spring elements of thecompensation unit.

If the gripper is moved back by a certain distance and if it was pivotedin the travel position, the signal of the sensor of the compensationunit is again used to detect collisions of the gripper or of theworkpiece with interference edges.

On the traveling of the gripper toward a workpiece, the signal of thesensor of the compensation unit can moreover be utilized to detect thecontact of the gripper with the workpiece. The gripper is in thisrespect traveled slowly to the workpiece until the compensation unitdeflects.

Independently of the exact embodiment of the compensation unit, in thisrespect in accordance with the present invention, work can be carriedout with different travel speeds for the gripping arm depending on theregion in which the gripper is located. The gripping arm can in thisrespect be moved in fast motion, i.e. at a high speed, in a region inwhich the gripper is located outside the container and thus no collisionwith interfering edges is to be feared. If the gripper is, in contrast,located in the region of the container so that collisions have to beanticipated, it preferably works at a second, lower speed. The speed isin this respect selected so that the gripper can be stopped on acollision with an interference edge before the compensation path of thecompensation unit is completely used up and the compensation unit doesnot permit any further compensation movement. In the near region to theworkpiece to be picked up, the gripper is furthermore preferablytraveled at a third, even lower speed. This still allows a certaintravel path of the gripper or gripping arm on the detection of acollision before its movement has to be stopped.

Embodiments of the methods in accordance with the present invention willnow be presented in more detail again with reference to flowcharts. Theycan preferably be carried out using apparatus such as were describedabove.

FIG. 32 in this respect shows the routine of the detection of theworkpieces in an embodiment of the present invention, and indeed bothfor the case that workpieces randomly arranged in a container aredetected and workpieces randomly arranged on an intermediate station aredetected.

In step 100, the system is located in a starting state. The gripper forpicking the workpieces can in particular be arranged outside thedetection region in this starting state. The gripper can for thispurpose either be set down in a parking position or can carry outactions in a region outside the detection region such as, for example,placing down an already picked workpiece.

In step 101 or 106, a measurement now takes place by the sensors of theobject recognition device. For this purpose, in particular a 3D laserscanner can be used in the embodiment. With the 3D laser scanner used inthe embodiment for detecting the workpieces in the container, the 3Dlaser scanner is first traveled into a measuring position above thecontainer from where the scanner is pivoted over the detection region.Alternatively, a detection during the horizontal travel movement of the3D laser scanner would also be possible. On the detection of theworkpieces on the intermediate station in accordance with step 106, thesensor is, in contrast, fixedly installed, with it being pivoted bypivoting over the detection region.

Alternatively to the use of a 3D laser scanner, a camera system or acombination of a camera system and a laser scanner could also be used. A2D or 2.5D detection by means of a camera can in particular also beconsidered in this respect.

In step 102, the data are now evaluated and the workpieces identified.

The identified workpieces are evaluated with regard to their positionstoward one another. It is in particular determined in this respect whichworkpieces lie highest and which workpieces are at least partly coveredby other workpieces. A selection is hereby prepared for the decisionwhich part is suitable for picking.

In step 103, a decision is now made as to which part is to be picked inthe next step. If this is not possible using the existing data, adetection can be carried out again in a new cycle, for which purpose thesystem moves back into the starting state in step 107.

If, in contrast, a workpiece was selected, a track planning for thegripper takes place in step 104. The determined parameters of the partto be picked which describe the position and spatial arrangement of thepart are used as the basis for the track planning. The system in thisrespect knows its current location and the target coordinates. The path,the so-called track, can then be calculated with the aid of thedetermined spatial data.

In this respect, a collision identification also advantageously takesplace in which the gripper and the container are represented bygeometrical data and the planned track is simulated in order thus todetermine possible collisions in advance and to preclude them in thetrack planning by determining an alternative path.

In step 105, the controlling of the gripper and the picking of aworkpiece take place using the data thus calculated.

Before now the different picking strategies in accordance with theinvention are shown next to one another with reference to FIGS. 24 and25, the possibilities for the design of an apparatus in accordance withthe invention should be shown again in overview by which thecorresponding strategies can be implemented.

An apparatus in accordance with the present invention can comprise twogrippers. A first gripper is used to roughly pick the parts from thebin. A second gripper is provided for the precise picking andsingularization on an intermediate station which can in particular beequipped with a transport belt. The second gripper places the workpieceson a further intermediate station or on a target receiver for ameasurement treatment or work treatment of the workpieces. Which type ofgripper is use depends on the geometry, the design, the size and/or theweight of the workpieces to be picked and/or on the number of grippingzones and on the geometry and the design of the gripping zone.

The workpieces can, however, possibly catch with one another, lie aboveone another or also remain stuck. They can have gripping zones which arenot sufficient for a direct picking from the bin since they are notsufficiently accessible in certain positions which they can adopt with aplurality of parts in the bin. If the parts in this respect possiblyonly have a specific gripping zone, a targeted, direct picking with amechanical gripper proves not to be sufficiently reliable and ismoreover slow and prone to problems.

In a preferred case, the first gripper is therefore a magnetic gripperand the second gripper is a mechanical gripper.

The use of a magnetic gripper for the pick in the bin or the containerhas the advantage that no exact picking in a precise gripping zone isrequired. Furthermore, with a magnetic gripper, a picking at differentgripping points of a workpiece is usually possible. A picking at thehighest point of the workpiece is also in particular usually possible.Furthermore, with a magnetic gripper, a simultaneous picking of aplurality of parts is possible to place them on the intermediatestation. In accordance with the invention, a fast and one hundredpercent emptying of the bin is thus possible by the use of a magneticgripper.

A mechanical gripper has the advantage that the part can be pickedprecisely in a gripping zone so that the workpiece can subsequently beplaced individually in a defined position on or in a receiving station.The receiving station can in this respect be the receiving station of afurther intermediate station or the target receiver of a measurementstation or processing station. The workpiece can equally be placed on anintermediate station which serves as a buffer station or as ademagnetization station or measurement station.

The preferred case of a combination of a magnetic first gripper and amechanical second gripper is in particular used with workpieces having aposition-orientated gripping zone and/or an asymmetrical, symmetrical orrotationally symmetrical contour with a corresponding size and weight. Amagnetic gripper can in this respect naturally only be used when theworkpiece can be picked by a magnetic gripper, that is comprises metal,for example.

In this respect, the magnetic gripper places the workpieces on anintermediate station, where they are detected again so that they can nowbe picked directly by the mechanical gripper and can then be placed ontoa processing station, measurement device or a transport belt.

The following further combinations for the configuration of the firstand second grippers are likewise conceivable: mechanical/mechanical,pneumatic/mechanical, mechanical/pneumatic, pneumatic/pneumatic andmagnetic/pneumatic. Any desired other combinations of mechanical and/orpneumatic and/or magnetic grippers are also conceivable.

The grippers can in this respect each be moved either by a robot arm ora linear portal or a surface portal. Optionally, the respective gripperscan be combined with a compensation unit and/or with a force torquesensor depending on which strategies are to be used in picking. Thecompensation unit in this respect improves the system security in thatit prevents the necessity of an operator intervention on collisions.

The intermediate station has a transport belt which transports theworkpieces from the placing region into a removal region. In thisrespect, the placed down parts are conveyed via a workpiece slide to thetransport belt. So that the parts placed down by the magnetic grippercome to lie as ideally as possible on the transport belt, the transportbelt is bounded by slanted metal sheets which allow workpieces slidingonto the margin of the transport belt to slide back onto the belt. Atthe same time, a flap which can be moved by the workpieces, inparticular a pivotable metal sheet or a transverse bar, can be installedabove the transport belt so that parts lying above one another can stillbe singularized or parts not positioned correctly tilt over. Theworkpieces can hereby be better detected by the scanner or camera andcan be picked better.

A design with only one gripper which picks first in the container,places the workpiece on an intermediate station and then picks theworkpiece again for singularization would be alternatively conceivable.The first gripper would thus also be used for removing the workpiecefrom the intermediate station and for placing it on a furtherintermediate station or the target receiver.

The invention in this respect comprises the following methods which canin particular be carried out in the operation of an apparatus inaccordance with the invention: Sorting out workpieces:

If the first gripper is combined with a force tongue sensor, a selectioncan already be carried out at this point by weight of the workpieces.Workpieces which lie outside a specific limit with respect to weight canin particular be sorted out. They can in particular be sorted out into asorting out container.

A sorting out by the first gripper is also possible in that workpieceswhich are recognized as lying outside a predefined specification ondetection are picked up and are placed in a sorting out containerinstead of on the intermediate station.

Workpieces which are detected on the intermediate station and which lieoutside a predefined specification can be sorted out. This can inparticular take place by a further transport of such workpieces into asorting out container at the end of the transport belt.

It is equally conceivable to hold a just picked part at a measurementdevice where e.g. geometries, surfaces (for example a lacquering) and/ormarkings (e.g. by codes) can be measured and/or inspected. If thismeasurement indicates that a part lies within a predefinedspecification, the picked part is placed down normally, e.g. on theintermediate station or on a target receiver. If it is outside thespecification, it is sorted out.

Prevention of system stops:

A system stop can be prevented by picking with an offset at which thegripper slightly misses the ideal picking position. In this case, thegripper travels back around 25 mm and starts to travel again in order topick more precisely this time.

Furthermore, it can be recognized via a force torque sensor when toomany parts were picked at once. In particular when hereby the maximumload of the robot could be exceeded, the load can be reduced by adropping of the workpieces back into the container. The parts remainingat the gripper can then be unloaded at the intermediate station.

If the situation arises at the intermediate station that the objectrecognition device cannot detect the part exactly since the parts e.g.lie above one another and cannot be detected exactly or that a pickingis not possible or only takes place with insufficient accuracy, thefollowing strategies can be used:

On the one hand, a further, lower-lying transport belt can be used onwhich the parts not picked travel on in order thus to adopt the requiredposition by falling over a stage. The workpiece thus has a second chanceand is again supplied to the transport belt for precise picking (Loop2). In this respect, e.g. with smaller parts which can catch with oneanother, provision can also be made that the transport path guided as acircuit has singularization devices which pulls the parts apart andhereby singularizes them. For this purpose, sheet metals or transversebars can, for example, be used which narrow the transport belt and/orbrush the workpieces.

If the parts are admittedly picked, but no exact picking takes place,this can be registered via a sensor. For this purpose, for example, apneumatic cylinder can be provided at the mechanical gripper. This notonly recognizes the gripping position within a necessary limit for asubsequently precise placing of the parts, but also has the consequenceof a stabilization of the part in picking. On a recognized inexactpicking, the second gripper can place the workpiece back onto a frontpart of the transport belt of the intermediate station. The part thusalso has a second chance for exact picking (Loop 1).

On picking a workpiece from a container, the above-named strategies canin particular be combined to form the routine shown in FIG. 24:

In this respect, the system is in a base state in step 110 in which thetrack calculated by the track planning is predefined for the gripper. Instep 111, the attempt of picking then takes place using the calculatedtrack planning.

If in step 112 more than one workpiece is picked, the further proceduredepends on whether this can be recognized by a sensor. If this is notthe case, the workpieces are simply unloaded onto the transport belt.Otherwise it is possible to carry out a measurement with respect toforce, weight, number or optics in step 113. A force torque sensor canin particular be used in this respect. Alternatively, a 3D laser or a 2Dcamera or a 2.5D camera can also be used here. A decision now takesplace by recognizing predefined limits whether too many parts werepicked up. If too many parts were picked up, a falling of all parts backinto the bin can take place either in step 114 by a switching off orreducing of the gripping force of the gripper. After this step 115, acompletely new picking procedure takes place, including detection of theparts. Alternatively, in step 117, a part regulation can take place bypartial reduction of the force of the gripper and thus partial droppingof the workpieces back into the bin. In step 119, a check can again bemade whether at least one part is hanging on. If such a part is hangingon, this can be unloaded on the intermediate station in step 120. If nopart is hanging on, a new picking cycle can be started directly.

If, in contrast, it is recognized in the measurement that only one partis hanging on, this can be unloaded directly. If it is recognized in themeasurement that no part at all was picked up, a new picking cycle canstart immediately.

It is shown in step 122 how it is possible to proceed if a centeredpicking is not possible. In this case, the gripper either searches forthe highest point of the selected part and grips at this point again instep 124 or it picks with an offset in step 123, i.e. it travels back byabout 25 mm from the part and then travels toward the part again.

Alternatively, such a decision can already take place when it isrecognized in the selection of the workpiece to be picked that none ofthe parts is centered in a pickable manner. In this case, a picking canalready be planned in the track planning with an offset at which thegripping surface and the main surface of the workpiece do not fullyoverlap or a picking at the highest point can be planned.

The system can deal with collisions as follows in this respect: If nocollision occurs, as in step 121, the workpieces can thus be unloaded onthe intermediate station. If, in contrast, in step 125, a collision isrecognized, for example, by a force torque sensor and/or a compensationunit, the control still allows a defined travel path. If this is alsoexceeded, the picking procedure is stopped and the system starts a newpicking cycle. If, in contrast, the collision in step 127 is onlyrecognized by the emergency stop function of the robot, this results ina system stop in step 128 which can only be cancelled again by anoperator intervention 129.

On the picking of a workpiece from the intermediate station, and inparticular from the transport belt of the intermediate station, thestrategies in accordance with the invention can in particular becombined to form the routine shown in FIG. 25:

First, in steps 130, a workpiece travels on the transport belt into therecognition region of the object recognition device and the transportbelt stops. Then the recognition is carried out, in particular ascanning by a 3D laser scanner. It can be pivotable or travelable in avertical or horizontal manner or can be arranged at a fixed positionabove the transport belt. Alternatively, a taking of an image can takeplace via a 2D, 2.5D or 3D camera. After the evaluation of the data andthe corresponding determination of a track for the gripper, as wasalready previously described, the picking then takes place in step 131.

The picking of more than one part in step 138 can trigger the sameprocedure as in the picking from a container. If in this respect amechanical gripper is used, only the possibility remains, however, ofdropping all parts in steps 140 and 141.

The procedure in the event of a collision in steps 148 or 144 is alsoidentical to the procedure on picking from a container.

On an inexact picking in step 143, a procedure can likewise be followingas was presented with respect to the corresponding steps in FIG. 23.These strategies can in particular be used when a magnetic gripper isused as the second gripper.

Furthermore, when the picking accuracy in step 134 is no longersufficient, the part can again be placed onto the front part of thetransport belt (Loop 1) so that the workpiece can again be detected andpicked.

If no recognition is possible or if no workpiece can be picked, theworkpiece can again be conveyed over a return path onto the transportbelt in a corresponding embodiment of the intermediate station so that arepeat chance for picking is given (Loop 2). Otherwise the workpiecewhich cannot be picked has to be traveled into a sorting out container.

The present invention makes possible a handling of the workpieces withfast cycle times, small error rates and a great accuracy in picking withthe above-presented apparatus and methods. In this respect, a highprocess security results by the avoidance of system downtimes whichwould require operator intervention. Furthermore, the present inventionallows a 100 percent emptying of the containers.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for handling of workpieceshaving a specific three-dimensional form, comprising at least onegripper for handling the workpieces, a control unit comprising acomputer program including commands for controlling the at least onegripper, and an intermediate station for placing down the workpieces,wherein the apparatus is configured such that the workpieces are placedon the intermediate station and are picked up again with a changedorientation and/or with a greater accuracy, wherein the intermediatestation has at least one receiver, the receiver having athree-dimensional form specifically adapted to the specificthree-dimensional form of the workpieces, such that the workpieces areretained in the receiver in a specific position and orientation definedby the specific three-dimensional form of the receiver, and wherein theapparatus handles the workpieces in an automated manner without a userintervention being necessary, wherein the intermediate station furthercomprises a compensation apparatus by which the receiver is arranged onthe intermediate station with a certain play, such that the receiveryields on an inexact placing of a workpiece, and a positioningarrangement which arranges and/or fixes the receiver in a predefinedposition for the more exact picking up of a workpiece placed in thereceiver, and wherein the positioning arrangement arranges and/or fixesthe receiver in the predefined position.
 2. The apparatus in accordancewith claim 1, wherein the at least one gripper is a mechanical,pneumatic, or magnetic gripper.
 3. The apparatus in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the at least one gripper comprises a gripper that isused for both placing down and picking up the workpieces.
 4. Theapparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one receiveris configured to allow picking up each workpiece with at least twodifferent orientations of the gripper toward the workpiece.
 5. Theapparatus in accordance with claim 1, comprising a plurality ofreceivers arranged on the intermediate station for receiving workpieces,each of the plurality of receivers being moveable by a travelarrangement from a placing position to a removal position.
 6. Theapparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the intermediate stationcomprises a functional arrangement for pretreatment, recognition and/ormarking of the workpieces, wherein the at least one receiver can betraveled from a placing position into a removal position, with theworkpieces running through the functional arrangement on the travelingof the at least one receiver.
 7. The apparatus in accordance with claim1, wherein the at least one gripper comprises a first gripper configuredto pick and remove the workpieces from a container, wherein the controlunit comprises an evaluation device for evaluating data of an objectrecognition device for detecting the workpieces, and wherein theintermediate station is a second intermediate station and the apparatusfurther comprises a first intermediate station on which the firstgripper places the workpieces after removal from the container, theapparatus further comprising a positioning apparatus comprising a secondgripper which positions the workpieces more accurately starting from thefirst intermediate station and/or singularizes them, wherein thepositioning apparatus is configured to place the workpieces on thesecond intermediate station in a defined position and/or in a definedorientation and pick the workpieces up from the second intermediatestation again with a changed orientation and/or with greater accuracy.8. An intermediate station for an apparatus for handling of workpieces,the intermediate station having at least one receiver in whichworkpieces can be placed in a defined position and/or orientation, theat least one receiver being adapted to the workpieces, the intermediatestation further comprising a compensation apparatus, which allows aninaccurate placing of the workpieces and by which the receiver isarranged on the intermediate station with a certain play, such that thereceiver yields on an inexact placing of a workpiece, and a positioningarrangement which fixes the receiver in a predefined position for themore exact picking up of a workpiece placed in the receiver.
 9. Amethod, comprising: with a control unit comprising a computer program,controlling at least one gripper of an apparatus for handling ofworkpieces to place the workpieces in at least one receiver of anintermediate station in a defined position and/or in a definedorientation, to release the workpieces before traveling the at least onereceiver from a placing position to a removal position via a travelarrangement, and then to pick the workpieces up again with a changedorientation and/or with a greater accuracy, the at least one receiveradapted to the workpieces, wherein the computer program is configured tocontrol the gripper in an automated manner without a user interventionbeing necessary, wherein the intermediate station comprises acompensation apparatus by which the at least one receiver is arranged onthe intermediate station with a certain play, such that the at least onereceiver yields on an inexact placing of a workpiece, and a positioningarrangement which arranges and/or fixes the at least one receiver in apredefined position for the more exact picking up of a workpiece placedin the at least one receiver, wherein the positioning arrangementarranges and/or fixes the at least one receiver in the predefinedposition.
 10. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein thecomputer program is configured to control the at least one gripper toplace the workpieces on the intermediate station with a certainpermitted inaccuracy, and wherein the workpieces are fixed in a specificposition on the intermediate station for more accurate picking up. 11.The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least onegripper is configured to grip a first side of the workpiece when placingdown the workpiece and to grip a second side of the workpiece whenpicking the workpiece up again.
 12. The apparatus in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the at least one gripper comprises two separategrippers including a first gripper for placing down the workpieces and asecond gripper for picking up the workpieces.
 13. The apparatus inaccordance with claim 4, wherein the at least one receiver of theintermediate station is configured such that the gripper can pick upeach workpiece from two sides of the workpiece.
 14. The apparatus inaccordance with claim 6, wherein the functional arrangement is ademagnetization station through which the workpieces are guided on theintermediate station.
 15. The method in accordance with claim 9, whereinthe at least one gripper is configured to grip a first side of theworkpiece when placing down the workpiece and to grip a second side ofthe workpiece when picking the workpiece up again.
 16. The method inaccordance with claim 9, further comprising, with the computer program,determining whether and/or how much a position of the workpiece pickedup at the gripper differs relative to the gripper from a predefineddesired picking position, and then controlling routing of the workpiecedepending on a result of the determination.
 17. The apparatus inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one gripper is configuredto pick and remove the workpieces from a container, wherein the controlunit comprises an evaluation device for evaluating data of an objectrecognition device for detecting the workpieces, and wherein the gripperplaces the workpieces onto the intermediate station after removal fromthe container.
 18. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein theintermediate station has a travel arrangement by which the at least onereceiver is traveled on the intermediate station from a placing positionto a removal position, the computer program including commands for thegripper to release the workpiece before it is traveled by the travelarrangement from the placing position to the removal position, whereinthe compensation apparatus allows the certain play in the placingposition of the receiver.
 19. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1,wherein the receiver has at least two step portions which abut at leasttwo sides of a workpiece placed in the receiver, the at least two stepportions defining the position of the workpiece in the receiver.
 20. Theapparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein the positioningarrangement comprises abutments and/or fixing regions against which theat least one receiver is moved by the travel arrangement in the removalposition for arranging and/or fixing the receiver in the predefinedposition.
 21. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the atleast one gripper is a mechanical gripper having multiple fingers, andwherein the workpieces have cut-outs into which the fingers of thegripper engage.
 22. The intermediate station in accordance with claim 8,wherein the at least one receiver is displaceable on rails at theintermediate station from a loading position, in which the compensationapparatus allows a movement of the at least one receiver, into a removalposition, in which the compensation apparatus is fixed in a definedposition by abutments.